Chennai Super Kings (CSK) have dismissed rumors that some of their key players could be released ahead of the IPL 2026 mini auction. There is speculation that Sam Curran, Rahul Tripathi, Devon Conway, Vijay Shankar and Deepak Hooda will be released before the auction.
The five-time IPL champions witnessed their worst season in history, finishing bottom of the points table with just four wins and ten losses earlier this year. Chennai Super Kings set several unwanted records, including home defeats to Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) and Delhi Capitals (DC) and their first defeat to Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) in Chepauk after decades.
Chennai Super Kings react to report of releasing 5 players ahead of IPL 2026 mini auction
Injuries and leadership changes in IPL 2025 have added to their nightmare. CSK captain Ruturaj Gaikwad played only five matches before being ruled out due to injury. He could score only 122 runs. And then MS Dhoni took charge in the middle but could not change the fortunes of the team, as they failed to make the playoffs in two consecutive seasons for the first time in CSK’s history.
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Meanwhile, a report in Cricbuzz suggests that the franchise may release Sam Curran, Rahul Tripathi, Devon Conway, Vijay Shankar and Deepak Hooda to shore up their auction budget for IPL 2026, especially after Ravichandran Ashwin’s retirement leaves them with around Rs 9.75 crore.
CSK’s “Nothing official” post goes viral
Social media quickly spread the rumors and Chennai Super Kings took swift action to clear the air. CSK confirmed through their official X (formerly Twitter) account that nothing is official until they announce it. “Nothing’s official until you see it here,” the franchise’s new bio reads.
The move by the five-time champions was a direct response to viral reports that the team may release several key players ahead of the IPL 2026 auction. However, before updating its bio, CSK made a post which read, ‘Don’t worry, we have updated the bio.’
Don’t worry, we’ve updated the bio
– Chennai Super Kings (@ChennaiIPL) 10 October 2025
CSK confirms retention of Sam Curran through social media post!!
Not only this, CSK also posted a GIF featuring Sam Curran on Instagram. He captioned the post: Find Sam. Tag him with the correct answer. Let’s see if he responds .”
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The post is being seen as confirmation by the franchise amid rumors that the English all-rounder is definitely being retained ahead of the IPL 2026 mini-auction.
Since Cricbuzz mentioned the names of other players, Chennai Super Kings only posted for Curran, leaving fans wondering if they have decided to retain the all-rounder.
Cricbuzz also took the names of other CSK players but LEO posted it only for Sam Curran.
110% retained Sam Curran https://t.co/nEIQZXQwo8
– Junaid Khan (@JunaidKhanation) 10 October 2025
Notably, as per reports, the IPL 2026 mini-auction is expected to take place in India between December 13 and 15. Before the auction, all ten franchises have a month to plan their teams and strategies, as they have to submit the final list of their retained players by November 15.
Pat Cummins and Travis Head reject huge offer of AUD 10 million made by IPL Group
Meanwhile, Australian captain Pat Cummins and star batsman Travis Head have shocked the cricket world by turning down a huge offer of AUD 10 million (Rs 58.46 crore) to quit international cricket and play full-time in overseas T20 leagues.
Cummins and Head were reportedly given lucrative offers by an IPL team group, but they decided to remain fully committed to their national team, giving priority to country over money. Both players already earn handsomely from national contracts, and they are also among the highest-paid players in the IPL.
